There are not many undiscovered snacks in North Indian cuisine. Most of them are immensely popular due to which they are readily available in Markets and Restaurants. There are some which you would only get at a proper street vendor stall. And then there are those which you prepare at home during festivals and relish them for days. Mathri is one such snack which I used to enjoy a lot with our Chai sessions at home. Mathri is a deep fried savoury snack usually made of All-purpose flour and spices. It can be kept fresh in air tight containers for days, and hence it makes a perfect snack with tea and Coffee.

Traditionally ( or rather out of habit ) mathirs are eaten with pickles. Since Mathris are mildly spiced, hot pickle compliments them very well. It’s a general norm to serve Mathri-Achaar and some sweet ( mithayi ) when the guests visit, especially during festive time. I wouldn’t say Mathri is the most nutritious snack ever, but since its home made you can say its better to have Chaat from outside vendor.

There are basically two types of Mathris. One is very mildly spiced, thin, crispy variety and the other one is this spicier, thicker, flakier, crumblier one which I have made here today. You can include any other herbs to this Mathri like Parsley, thyme or even greens like fenugreek, spinach etc. as well. Each will provide a distinctive flavour and fragrant to this snack. Here, I have mixed whole wheat flour with the all purpose flour ( maida ) and hence the Mathris were a tad bit less crumbly. But nevertheless were as tasty as always. You may try it both ways, with or without whole wheat flour.

I made these specially for the SNC to challenge our South Indian friends. It is a monthly event where both teams challenge each either to try traditional regional dishes. I have challenged them twice before with these two dishes :- Punjabi Malaayi Kofta and Bihari Litti Chokha, click on the links to see what they came up with JJWe had these Mathris with this tangy Coriander Chutney visible in the pictures, check out the recipe for this No-Oil, No- Fat Spinach and Coriander Chutney HERE.

Prep Time: 10 mins

Cooking Time: 30-40 mins ( for 15-20 Mathris )

Serves: 3-4 people /servings

Cuisine:- Indian States of U.P. Uttarakhand, Bihar etc.

Spice Level: Mild to Medium

Recipe Level: Moderate / Intermediate

Shelf Life: 4-5 weeks in an Air tight container

Serving Suggestion: With pickle, Raita, Chutney, Tea etc.

What you need?

3 cups All purpose flour ( maida )

2 cups whole wheat flour ( atta)

½ cup oil – for kneading the dough

¼ cup ghee – for kneading the dough ( optional)

½ tsp cumin powder ( jeera powder )

1 tsp black pepper powder

1 tsp carom seeds ( ajwain)

1 tbsp Salt ( or to taste)

1 cupfresh coriander leaves – chopped small

1 tbsp dried fenugreek leaves – Kasuri methi

Oil – for deep frying ·

How to make?

Sieve the flours in a big mixing bowl. Add in all the spices, coriander leaves, oil and ghee and knead into a hard dough. It should be harder than the Chapathi dough, else the Mathris will break apart while frying. Once done, cover the dough with a damp tea towel and keep aside for 20-30 minutes

Once the dough is set, knead it again for a minute, and divide into small balls of equal size. The amount pinched will be more than the Chapathi. Flatten each one of them between your palms gently, the mathri will crack a bit from the side since the dough is hard so don’t worry about that

In the meanwhile, heat oil in the wok . To check if its hot enough, drop a small dough ball into the hot oil. If it immediately comes up sizzling, that means it’s all done. Turn the flame to low-medium.

Fry the flattened balls in batches of 3-4 at a time, giving them enough space to float around. One batch will take around 10-12 minutes, since these Mathris are thick and should be cooked properly from inside. Once all sides are light brown, take them out and drain on a kitchen towel . Prepare all Mathris in the same way

Once they come to the room temperature, store them in air tight container. These can be kept fresh for 4-5 weeks easily.

Enjoy hot and fresh with some Raita or dip, chutney for your tea time.

Notes:

You may puree the coriander and then mix with the dough. The colour of the Mathris will be darker, and the taste will be slightly different.

There will be slight cracks at the sides of these Mathris since the dough is hard, so donot worry about that

Feel free to add any other dry spices like Oregano, basil etc and see how it turns out.